State Attorney Bill Eddins office recently announced Dewayne Martin, a resident of New Orleans, entered a plea to charges of burglary of a dwelling while armed, grand theft auto, grand theft and resisting an office without violence.
Martin, 25, was apprehended by deputies with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office on March 5th after residents living on Pat Brown Road near Milton contacted authorities following an encounter with Martin who had broken into their home.
According to a press release from the state attorney’s office, the couple living at the residence heard someone through a back door. Martin, who reportedly had a hammer in hand at the time of the encounter, told the residents he needed gas and the couple told martin to leave.
Martin then became distracted when the couple’s dog barked allowing the female resident to take Martin’s hammer from his hand, the press release said. Martin then immediately fled outside where he then tried to start an ATV unsuccessfully. Upon being located by deputies near the same area, Martin attempted to flee but was unsuccessful. Deputies also located the vehicle driven by Martin near the same area. The same vehicle was reported stolen in New Orleans, where the driver claimed a black male with a gun threatened her for the keys to the vehicle.
The press release said Martin is wanted in New Orleans for a double homicide, which occurred just two days prior to his apprehension in Santa Rosa County.
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune website, NOLA.com, Martin was identified by witnesses as the suspect in a shooting in East New Orleans which left Walesha Williams and her 8-year-old daughter Paris Williams dead.
Martin, which faces a possible life sentence on the burglary charge and five years each for the grand theft charge, is expected to be sentenced on August 11.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: New Orleans man facing additional charges following recent arrest in Milton